Build A Base: 5 Life Areas

Many people regardless of whether they are young or old, home or abroad, struggle with the question of where or what is their base. Base home, base country, base finances, baseline to build on for the future. 

Nowadays, a global career, citizenship, or residency is possible! For those abroad, immigration instability can hinder or unroot any base. This could be at intervals, it could be temporarily, or it could be a permanent instability. 

Instability is EXTREMELY unnerving and anxiety inducing. For those in this struggle, the question of “where are my bases?” becomes eerily haunting. As I prepare for the next year or phase of my life, I realise recurring confusion. I have no base structure on which to build my life. 

In that regard, this blog post will focus on creating a base in five (5) life areas (excluding spirituality). From there, may we each build a fort one day. 

Mindset Rewiring

We can choose to view this whole catastrophe from one of two angles:

I have no base!

Or

I need to build, solidify, and maintain my bases.

For many people this instability starts from within the mind. They may look around and account for how often their life changes. People, places, circumstances, and things are never constant. When uncertain of where you will be or what to do with the time of now, start with how long you are certain of. And the possible ways you can extend your opportunity and stability.

The goal should be to prepare for old(er) age. Not a specific age, just a period when you want to provide for yourself outside of the 9-5, whether you have joined that rat race or yet to begin. I can prepare from now when I am young. 

This should be the mindset that we embody. Regardless of what stability looks like in context or time, I am still going to prepare for my tomorrow. 

Clothing (Attire) 

It seems to be forgotten, but our life’s needs are: food, CLOTHING, shelter, water, and air. Somebody forgot CLOTHING along the way. Maybe not you, but definitely me. And so I was stunned at the recollection when at 28 years old, with a closet full of hand-me-downs, I couldn’t put together a single outfit that made sense. Or that matched my growth. Both literally and metaphorically. 

I was stunned. Over the years I had subconsciously learned to demonise the need, and thereby desire, for clothes. As such I had become one of some people who neglect that it is a literal necessity of life! 

In my attempts to retire that belief, I will offer the following. 

Know yourself. While this goes for your style, it also goes for your likes, dislikes, size, preferences, color scheme. Know yourself. That only comes from catering to yourself. So spend time with yourself, take mental and on paper notes, try new things, allow yourself to question and provide answers to yourself about yourself. That is the only mission in life. 

Clothing may be a good way to start. It provides so much context about ourselves that we wouldn’t even begin to know if we continue to accept and galavant in people’s hand-me-down. How you dress is how you feel. If we continue accepting others’ input here we may never learn or feel like ourselves.

A practical and worthwhile way to start is to prepare for the activities that you prioritize in your daily life. You cannot show up naked. Examples include church/spirituality, school, exercise, work, party etc. Each area needs adequate clothing. Curated by you and curated for you. An affordable avenue for myself is thrifting which is not to be confused with hand-me-down. The latter can lack intentionality while the other can be purely intentional. 

Activities (Everyday show up)      

The  activities that we prioritize in our daily lives help to determine the clothing we curate and how we show up in our own lives everyday. What we dress and show up for is determined by the activities we prioritize. So many people neglect clothing, trying to focus on activity, and overlook the fact that when we show up to each activity:

i. How I feel daily is impacted by how I dress and perceive myself (and is in turn perceived by the world).

ii. it is unacceptable to show up naked so I do need clothing. 

iii. I should dress appropriately as much as I can.

Now that I am dressed accordingly, I will show up accordingly. I get the job done and I become an expert in myself (or a particular field/thing) so much so that I may even generate income in each of the encounters where I show up. Whether that is by dressing appropriately and going to the activity of work to get paid, or showing up to any of your daily activities worthy of payment for your expertise or time. Remember, “Do what you love and you will never work a day”?

When we perceive ourselves (mindset) and prepare (clothing) with a subconscious block of instability we tend to neglect activity altogether. Many of us may just be doing the bare bones of being at home or leaving for school/work, the grocery store, or church/spiritual activity. That’s it. When we do this we tend to unconsciously limit so many other areas of our lives it is mind blowing. 

(Privileged blog acknowledgement: I can bitch and bemoan about being overseas. Someone else can about being homeless in their homeland). 

Take for example someone overseas worried about potential immigration instability and thereby unable to form an active life as a result. They limit their mindset, clothing, activities, show up / life experiences, potential financial advantages, connections, and potential in life. That may seem like a gradual stretch, however, take note of individuals who do not perceive instability in their life. They are building bases in the activities in their lives, the way they show up to those (lol e.g. who goes to Pilates in jeans or skirt?), and most importantly their RoI (time invested to financial return). 

Income / Returns on Investment

Let us start with the fact that a mindset of instability breeds insufficiency. My circumstances, opportunities, and resources are insufficient. Yet some people seem unaware that in an ideal world - my ideal - what we show up for daily can and should reward, compensate or provide for us. This should create stability and sufficiency in at least one of the most concerning areas of life, income/finances. For many people that is not all activities that we show up for, but mainly our job. An unstable mindset and practices can impact the potential level of income received, if any, even with a job as the main source of income. 

I have been at my current job for a little while now. This is a job in a country that is “home away from home”. In many ways it is my first “grown up” job overseas, but I am also aware that this country is not yet home. As such I didn't see value in buying into a pension at work. At the time it seemed like for any of a million and one valid reasons. Yet I am in a country in which I am contemplating residency, so why didn't I buy a pension to prepare for old(er) age? This is a perfect example of how a poverty mindset impacts our short and long term planning capacity. I can think of “oh, what if I don’t get to stay here?”, or “what if I get to stay, but I choose to leave the working world again and go back to school?”, etc. etc. etc. 

If I intend to build a base my next step therefore is to start researching a pension. What is a pension, what are its benefits, how is it attributed to immigrants, and what are some buy back options for the pension at my work? It is as simple as knowing and then taking the steps necessary. 

Not having a pension is one way that we may limit our earning potential. It is the role of many employers to match a certain percentage or the full amount contributed to a pension for its employees. That is unquestionably a value added income. Not only is the employee showing up to work for earnings, of which they contribute a portion to “paying themselves in the future”: a pension, but also there is the added contribution from the employer as well. Too, that is just one example of a pension scheme. There are many other models including those we prepare for ourselves.

A job isn’t the only way to earn income. Not in today’s world. Always be aware of earning opportunities in every moment of your day. These lead us to innovative thinking (i.e. business ideas), passion play: opportunities we generate from love, and finding our purpose in this world. If I leave you with nothing today, please remember the words of Paulo Coelho in The Alchemist, “to realize one’s personal legend is their only obligation in life”. 

Money will free you, it will trap you, all in all please learn how it works for you. 

The point here is that if we clear our mindset, attire ourselves, and show up to activities we prioritize, then we may be able to capitalize on our earning potential daily. 

Choose Connection

In the book Building A Non-Anxious Life by Dr. John Deloney, he implores readers to choose connection. The reasoning is that much like “it takes a village to raise a child” it does take a village to raise any and everyone of us, child and adult alike. We will each need someone to fall back on at some point in time. 

Experiencing any form of instability is challenging, to say the least, much more so when we are alone. I am alone. Choosing connections is my weakest strength. Yet I will work on this and I implore you likewise to come with me. Choose even one person to let them know you are happy they are or would like them to be here on this journey with you. 

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